Jade looked as though she were going to vomit as her eyes welled with tears, taking in the man that stood before her, watching her reaction with a glimmer of amusement.
Changing the direction of the conversation, I pulled Cain to the side; this next part was not for her ears. Taking the hint, she busied herself by looking at the flowers growing out of the trunk of the furthest tree from us, trying to distract herself. As she tried to hide the tears she was clearly wiping away discretly. Cain stifled a silent laugh, one I rarely saw from him. Jade seemed to intrigue him, as he dared to toy with her so soon by letting me share that often guarded piece of his history. Refocusing on the task at hand, I whispered to Cain.
‘What do you know of Ruhi? Who are they?’ I asked him.
I unfolded the note Cain passed me and read as his simple question ofWhy?morphed.
Who Ruhi is changes from person to person. It is old Morgadian magic and very rare. It is said that only once every few hundred years does a Morgadian find their Ruhi. Why do you ask?
‘I still don’t understand. What is a Ruhi? I heard Demir mention it a few times,’ I explained.
Cain got a sinister glint in his eyes before the words on the note scrambled and took shape again.
If Demir has found his Ruhi, he has found the missing piece of his soul. It is a soul bonding that transcends everything. It is a bond that is revered more than the royal bloodline in Morgad. Rulers of old have waged wars over their Ruhi, thrown away titles and crowns, neglected their people. The call to a person’s Ruhi is unyielding and undeniable. It is primal. The moment a Morgadian finds their Ruhi, they would kill their whole family and slit their own wrists before letting harm befall them. The need to protect is innate. If Demir has found his Ruhi, we have discovered his ultimate weakness and a way to shatter Morgad from the inside out. We have found the leverage we have sought all thistime.
The world slipped from under me. He hesitated during the duel. Was it because of me? His sudden change and kindness; perhaps it was not due to me reminding him of his sister after all.
‘Can only one person feel the soul bonding? Can someone reject it?’ I asked.
Each type of Fae feels it differently. If his Ruhi were of Morgadian blood, they would feel the same. If they were a Water Whisperer from Neretva, the pull and connection would feel different—like drowning when they are not near one another. For those from Suncela, it’s like being thirsty in the middle of the desert when you are not touching, but the outcome remains the same. A person can say they reject the bond, but it will always remain.
‘What-what does it feel like for a Skin Seeper?’ I asked, voice shaking, unable to meet his eyes.
Skylar, are you his soul bonded? Please tell me you’re not.
I couldn’t say anything.
The Skin Seepers refer to their person as their Zauvek but it is all one and the same. If it’s you, it would be different, though, as you have the power of the eternal flame coursing through you. You are not a typical Skin Seeper. Perhaps the flame protects you from such magic and the bond will not affect you. Perhaps there is a way to break the bond because the magic within you is different from that of others; I do not know. You will need to ask Visarous to read through the ancient scrolls to find those answers.
The piece of parchment paper shook in my hand. I began to replay every thought I heard in Demir’s mind, every action over the last two days. ‘It’s one way; I’m sure of it. I don’t feel anything. We can use this as leverage, we can use him to end this,’ I said, almost convincingly, still reeling.
None of the things Cain had described resembled anything I had felt. Surely, the flame must have protected me from such bonds, or perhaps the flame’s bond with me left room for no others. Yes, I felt slightly warmer when we touched and cold when he left, but maybe the oversized brute just ran hot.
I left Cain and Jade to talk not able to continue this line of thought. One thing was certain: I could use this to my advantage in this war.
Sixteen
Ifound Visarous in the Academy’s temple, muttering sweet nothings to the spirits. It was a place of solace for him, just as my early morning walks and the battlefield had often been for me.
‘I need you,’ I said, pulling him from his trance-like state. He sat at the dais, head bowed in his usual white flowing robes.
‘Need, never want,’ he commented, before standing up from the dais he had been kneeling at. ‘What can I do for you, my Queen?’ he sneered, as though my title burned his tongue as he spoke it.
‘I need the Spirit Caster right now. I need you to look into soul bonding for Skin Seepers. Any accounts you can find of it happening in the royal bloodline. I need to know how it worked, how it felt and whether it could be broken.’ His eyes widened, and his nostrils flared.Jealousy. I had seen it for the first time just the other night when he watched me dance with Demir.
‘Why?’ he gritted through his teeth.
‘Remember your place, Visarous. I ask the questions, you obey. You do not get to question me.’
‘I have earned the right to ask. Do you not see me losing thisbattle within myself? I tried for so long to see you as nothing more than my queen, but I can’t. I can’t lie to myself anymore. I need you the way I need air. I want you—by the gods, I want you in mind, spirit and body. You are everything. At some point, you stole a piece of me, and I haven’t been able to find it while merely standing by your side. Perhaps I’ll find it again deep inside you.’ He smiled a devilish grin, replacing his earnestness as he stepped closer.
‘Do what I asked,’ I said, stepping away from him.
‘I don’t need to. I already have. You think I didn’t look this up sooner in the hopes that you were my soul bonded one, or that perhaps I could make you mine. I’m not proud of it. But I thought it would give me the excuse I needed to throw away all self-control and pursue you sooner. I know the answers to every question you have, but first, I have a few questions of my own and you will answer them,’ he said. ‘The other night before the ball when I felt you drip in arousal for me, did you want me?’
He was playing with fire, but I could see he was on the edge. I could force his hand, but the quickest way was to concede just slightly—dangle a carrot and have him keel over. I nodded.
He took a step towards me. ‘Every time we slept together in the past, did you want me, or would anyone have sufficed?’
